Digital Video Media and Entertainment

Tech@Tuck • Tuck CampusNovember 7, 2002

The day included a late afternoon panel with a dynamic group of industry executives, as well as a hands-on display of digital TVs, DVD players and plasma screens setup over midday in Tuck's Stell Hall. The panel was followed by a Tuck Tails reception sponsored by the Quality of Life Committee and co-hosted by the Technology Club and the Media & Entertainment Club. For a schedule of events, please click here.
The main event was a panel discussing the future of the media and entertainment industry and the impact technology advances are having on it. From the cutting room to the living room, how does digital technology affect the life of video content and the value chain of the media and entertainment industry? The panel focused on the effect of technology on this industry from significantly enhanced creative capabilities through changing marketing and distribution. The panel consisted of the following industry executives:

"There is great potential for new technology to seriously disrupt the current distribution configuration of this industry," says Hans Brechbühl, executive director of the Center for Digital Strategies. "Given the advances in video-compression technology, the industry could also experience some of the same issues in property rights that the music industry lived through with Napster." Professor Alva Taylor moderated the panel.

In the spirit of bringing executives directly into the classroom too, Glenn Britt was also a guest lecture in Professor Margaret Peteraf's Industry & Competitive Analysis class. His presentation and discussion was focused on competitive strategy in the cable TV industry.

Tech@Tuck also included a series of smaller interactions for the Tuck and Thayer communities. Students, faculty and staff had an opportunity to meet with panelists in a series of targeted sessions. These sessions kicked off with a panelist/faculty lunch and a panelist/student lunch. This was followed by two MBA career/industry roundtables with the panelists, setup by the Office of Career Services and the center, and hosted by Melissa Carlson (technology) and Becky Rice (media and entertainment). In the mid-afternoon, before the panel, there were student office hours and individual meetings between faculty and the visiting executives. Following the panel and reception, Ed Glassmeyer T'68 co-founder of the center, hosted a dinner for the panelists and special guests.